Method of finishing carpets



July 11, 1933. H. L. SHUTTLEWORTH METHOD oF FINISHING CARPETS Filed Oct. 2l, 1931 Si@ .X

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ATTORNEYS Fatentecl July 11, 1933 rarer OFFICE HOWARD L. sHUrfrLnWonrH, or AMSTERDAM, New YORK METHOD OF` FNISHING (Hilft-FEESk y .Application ined october 21,1931. seriai m1. 570,195.

This invention is concerned with a1netli o1l of finishing fabrics and particularly `ivithua method of softening the appearance of pile fabrics such as carpets or rugs and giving a 5 sheen to the pile. 1

Bugs and carpets are generally :1 Woven pile fabric having a dyed v'Wool pile and, when the fabric vhas been Woven and the pile evenlv trimmed, the feeling and appearance l@ is still rather harsh and unpleasant and lacks thesoftness and uniformity which is desirable `and representative ofthe betterv quali-- ties Vof fabric.

One of the main reasons for the harsh apf l5 pearance of the fabricr is the scaleswhich are attached. to the Wool fibres and make the pile look rough and dull. A lt is customary to v. 11 these rugs or carpets in a chemical bath to remove these scales from the Woolfibre and thus soften the appearance and feel of the carpet, but this process is expensive'and has the disadvantage that it often changes tl e bri in the'pile so that the Wearing qualities of the rug are rseriously impaired.

ln order to overcome these difficulties and produce carpet having a soft luxurious feel and appearance and to give the .pile the desii-ed sheen7 but not impair the Wearing qual- 39 ities thereof l have `devised the process of invention. This process not only acthese results and eliminates the n Washing' but is far cheaper to ci 'ry ont than the'usual Washing process and (requires very little equipment@ According to the new method, the fibres making up the pile are broken up and spread it and the removed from the fibres mechanical abrasion. he abrading ac- )n may be carried on by means. of 'any snitabrasive mechanism employing sandpaper7 einery cloth, ground glass, abrasive wheels. or the like, although l prefer to use rolls or belts having an abrasive f surface which may be forced against the surface of the pile under regulated pressure so'V as to effect removal of the scale from the pile fibres for a substantial distance, the depthfin the pile to which the scales are removed being dependent upon the pressure with which the colors in the carpet and weakens the fi' fabric is acted on, the duration of the operation and the kind and condition of the fabric used.

vfibres and abrading material from the treatedl fabric, steaming the pile to raise or if@ straighten'it, and brushing the pile surface. Preferably, the abrading action is carried 0n in t-Wo,y stages With the fabric cleaned7 steamed and brushed after each stage.

F or a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying `dranving in which there is illustrated schematically mechanism for performing the successive steps of the method.

In the drawing a carpet or rug 11 having a pile 12 is fedever a supporting roller 13, under bar 14 and over another supporting roller15. The bar 14 is lowerthan the rollers 13 and 15 and vhas an angularly out face 16 I around which the carpet passes, the bending lof the carpet in its movement beneath the bar spreading the pileand makingaccessible the individual tufts thereof Below the bar 111 is a rotating roll 17 carrying sandpaper, emery M cloth or the like upon Aits surface and bearingwd against the carpet as it passes under the bar. lhis roll 1s driven by anysultable source of power and 1s forced against thecarpet resiliently, as by means of springs or a Weight. r {Uf} Instead of beingk surfaced withl abradlng" Ymaterial, the roll may be made ofsteel With its surface formed with sharp corrugations or cutters Which produce the abrading effect.V

After passing over the roller 15 thecarpet@ passes under a secondV bar 18 Where a second abrading roll k19 rotating inthe opposite direction from the first abrading roll contacts with it and abrades the opposite sides ofthe Y pile libres and atthe same time causes a rearranging thereof. The carpet may then pass over additional rolls and under additional bars and the abrading may be repeated until the libres have been thoroughly treated.

y The carpet passesfrom the last roll, a sup- 100 eoY porting roller 2O and over a vacuum nozzle 21 Where the loose fibres and the abrading material detached from the abrading rolls are removedfrom the pile.

From the vacuum nozzle the carpet passes over a steam spray 22 and thence over a supporting roller 23, and under aA bar Qatsimilar to the bar 14 Wherethe pile is spread. While the pile is in the spread condition it is brushed by a driven Wire brush Q5 which is pressed against it by means similar to those used With the abrading rolls. ln theprocessillustrated, the carpet is steamed, brushed, steamed, and brushed again by brushes 26, each brushing operation thus being carried on by means of a pair of brushes. f

After the carpet has passed the brushes it passes over supporting rollers 27 and 9.8 be tween which is located a hot air dryer 29 from which the carpet may pass into Contact with a second series of abrading rolls 30 and over a final vacuum Anozzle 8l, the rolls 30 preferably running all in the same direction. Beyond the nozzle 31 a driven roll 32 with spikes in its surface pulls the carpet through the apparatus and it is around into a roll 211533.

I have described the nerv method as involv `ing abrasion of the pile while it is in a iiexed condition so as to brealrapart the pile fibres as the fabric passes beneath the bars let just .above the abrading devices, but it may be devtothose skilled in the art. For example, the

number of abrading operations employed and the kind of abradmg devices used in each opvcrationjivill vary with the chararter of the goods being treated andthe effect that is desired. The `new method may be employed on fabrics either with ,or Without preliminary washing and various types of abrasive devices and abrasive materials may be made use of. Similarly, the number and kind of brushing devices employed Will vary with the type of material being `treated.

- I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to brush pile fabrics With AWire or bristle .brushes in order to remove loose libres and straighten the pile but such brushing operations do not acbievethe same results as are obtained by my method since the brushing does not effect removal. of thescale from the ibresnor produce the sheen andsoft appearance which is accomplished by abrading.

y I claim: y

yl. Afmethod Aof finishing `a pile fabric which comprises subjecting the pile surface to abrasion in opposite directions to remove the scales from the fibres of the pile to a substantial depth and soften the appearance of the fabric.

2. The method of finishing a pile fabric which comprises subjecting the pile surface to abrasion in a plurality of directions While the fabric is bent to loosen the pile, said abrasion removing the scales from the pile yarns to a substantial depth removing the loose material from the pile, and steaming and brushing the fabric to remove the remaining loose fibres and rearrange the libres of the pile.

3. The method of finishing a pile fabric which comprises subjecting the pile surface to abrasion in a plurality of steps, said abraon removing the scales from the pile yarns to a substantial depth, removing the loose material from the pile, moistening the pile to raise it, brushing the pile, and againV abrading the pile surface.

4. The method of finishing a pile fabric carpet to remove the scales from the fibres of the pile and soften the appearance of the fabric, which comprises bending the fabric to loosen'the pile, abrading the bent fabric in a'plurality of directions, removng loose material from the fabric by vacuum, removing the remaining loose fibres and rearranging the pile by steaming and Wire brushing the fabric in a plurality of directions, drying f the fabric, again bending and abrading the fabric and again removing the loose material vfrom the fabric by vacuum.

' 5. A method of finishing a pile fabric which comprises removing the scales from a substantial length of the pile tufts by abrasion, steaming the pile surface to raise raising the pile by steaming and brushing, `drying the pile surface, and abrading the dried surface.

8. A method of finishing a pile fabric which comprises abrading the pile from opposite directions to remove scales from theY pile yarns to a substantial depth, raising the pile by steaming and brushing, and again abrading the pile.

' yIn testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

.HOWARD L. SHUTTLEVORTli-l.

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